Many South Bend city workers to see bigger raises

SOUTH BEND — Fatter paychecks may be coming for hundreds of city workers as a result of actions taken by the South Bend Common Council. Acting on a request by Mayor Stephen Luecke, the council on Monday approved an ordinance that changed a previously approved wage package for employees who are members of the Teamsters union. When the council passed its budget and salary ordinance in September, Luecke said, negotiations were ongoing with the Teamsters. The original ordinance included 2 percent raises in 2008 for most city workers, including the Teamsters. However, Luecke said, the three-year contract ratified by the union in November contained a 3 percent raise for 2008 and 2 percent raises for 2009 and 2010. Luecke asked the council not only to amend its salary ordinance for the 288 Teamsters, but also to provide the same 3 percent raise this year to the city's 494 nonbargaining workers. The council approved the Teamsters ordinance Monday by an 8-1 vote. It then heard first reading of an ordinance that would give the same raises to nonunion workers. That measure will have a public hearing and vote Feb. 11. Luecke asked that all the raises be retroactive to Jan. 1. The money will come from unspent wages already in the budget, and not from an additional appropriation, Luecke said. Council member Ann Puzzello, D-4th, cast the only negative vote on the Teamsters measure. She said she is in favor of raises for city workers but didn't like the fact that the mayor negotiated to overrule the original ordinance passed by the council. The city administration negotiates the contract with the Teamsters, while the council negotiates with the police and fire unions. If the council reaches an agreement with the police and fire unions, Puzzello said, can those unions go to the mayor in the future and ask him to change things? Letting the mayor overrule the council sets a bad precedent, she said. Neither of the salary ordinances include the city's 253 police officers or 248 firefighters, who have their own unions and are covered by separate contracts with the city. Staff writer Nancy J. Sulok: nsulok@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6234